1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tamperproof window securable informational article which is structured to be adhesively secured to the inner surface of a window such as a vehicle or building window and has means for resisting undesired counterfeiting or removal as a unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been known for various types of documents, cards and articles that resistance to counterfeiting, as well as tampering with such items has created serious problems. Various means have been known to resist such unauthorized duplication or tampering and alteration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,015 discloses an identification card wherein a laminate contains a photograph, or similar information or indicia, and contains fibers which will be torn if an effort is made to delaminate the card.
It has also been known to embed holograms in such an article so as to resist unauthorized photocopying. U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,795 discloses an identification card, which has a holographic image, embossed in a clear polyethylene containing laminate. The assembly is created under the influence of heat. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,222, which discloses a hot embossing foil, which includes a magnetic layer and a hologram.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,439 discloses an identification card which includes vinyl layers between which a photograph and other information is secured in a manner which is said to create a tamper-free structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,646 discloses a hologram film laminate which contains information overlying the hologram and a metallized layer underlying the same with adhesive being employed to secure the assembly. A clear plastic upper layer is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,855 discloses a destructible label system, which includes a tamperproof label. A printable label is said to be fragile such that it cannot be removed from the substrate without destroying the physical integrity of the label base. An adhesive protective film is said to be applied in an overlapping overlay to protect but not support the imprinted surface. Reference is made to the use in connection with a serial number, date and year of manufacture of a vehicle. It has been known to provide holograms on bank documents such as a bank draft in order to resist counterfeiting. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,753.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,077 discloses a multi-section insurance card, which discloses removal of a protective paper to expose an adhesive to permit folding, trimming and securing a component to the inner surface of an automotive vehicle glass pane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,763 discloses a tamper evident temporary vehicle registration which provides a permanent background grid and enables an auto dealer or other authorized person to handwrite or otherwise apply the specific date of expiration of the temporary tag and then cover the handwritten portion with a write-resistant material thereby resisting counterfeiting or alteration of the dates. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,641 and 5,595,624.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,543 discloses a tamper evident and counterfeit resisting informational article wherein any of a plurality of means may be employed to resist unauthorized reproduction. Among the means employed are holograms including a plurality of generally donut-shaped embossments and hologram particles. It also discloses portions having different adhesion and release properties to facilitate resistance to tampering without permanent changes in the physical structure. The disclosure of this patent is incorporated herein by reference.
In spite of these prior disclosures, there remains a real and substantial need for a window securable informational article, which resists counterfeiting through photocopying or computer scanning and also resists removal of the sticker from the interior of a window as an intact unit.
The present invention has met the above-described need by providing an informational article having a front side for facing the window to which it will be adhered and a second side for facing away from the window. A low wet-strength paper layer which resists removal of the article as a unit when the paper layer has been soaked with a liquid is provided. A refractory image layer is disposed in front of the low wet-strength paper and a first liquid previous layer is positioned on the second side of the low wet-strength paper. In this manner, a liquid may be applied to the rear surface of the sticker when the window is cleaned without destroying the integrity of the sticker. Efforts to remove the sticker by soaking the same in water, such as, for example, plain or soapy water or other liquid will result in a substantial loss of tensile strength of the low wet-strength paper thereby causing the sticker to fracture responsive to efforts to remove the same.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a differential adhesive layer is interposed between the information contained in the article and the optically variable image so as to cause permanent physical changes in the article as a result of an effort to remove the same. Also, the first previous layer may be a first resinous layer which permits moisture to pass through it to the low wet-strength paper, but provides some resistance so as to avoid substantial moisture passing therethrough responsive to mere washing of the interior of the window to which the informational article is secured.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tamperproof window securable informational article which resists counterfeiting and resists removal of the article from a window to which it is secured without at least substantial destruction thereof.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an article wherein efforts to remove the article from the window by soaking the same with a liquid will result in substantial reduction in the strength of the paper layer and thereby cause the article to be destroyed when removal is attempted in this manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to employ the low wet-strength paper as a substantial support for coatings, which will lose their primary basis of support upon destruction of the low wet-strength paper.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an article which can be easily removed in a manner which destroys it such that lawful removal at the end of the term for which it serves, can be made without difficulty.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an article, which resists transfer of the article as a unit to another vehicle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a system wherein normal use of a liquid window cleaner will not, in any manner, effect destruction of the informational article.
These and other objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of the invention on reference to the illustrations appended hereto.